Biggest Loser – Recap
Back at the Ranch, The purple team come to confront the yellow team because they told them at the elimination they weren’t working hard. Jen is highly offended, and starts yelling and such at Paul and Kelly, and Paul tells us that they have to reach deeper. She feels they validated the stereotype that fat people are lazy, and them in particular. Jen decides it’s time to forget alliances.
Kelly and Paul talk to Jillian, and she tells us that she was surprised, but she can’t tell them who to target or not, that’s not her place. Kelly lets Jillian know that they are no longer teams, but individual, while the other teams fill Bob in on the elimination challenge. Jen voices her discontent and Bob tells her to find more strength in her inner self and quit focusing on what others are saying and take responsibility for her own self. She has another opportunity to prove them all wrong.
Jillian spends time with Brittany to see what’s at the core of her obesity. She gets her to open up, and explain that she’s had an emotional battle with food since her father’s death. She doesn’t like opening up, it’s hard because she’s been hurt a lot. She’d rather make everyone think it’s ok. The only thing that was consistent for her was food.
Challenge time!
It’s the grand ole esculator challenge! They decided the trainers should be there with them, because it’s an important challenge. The first person to run up the down esculator 10 times wins – there will be only one competitor on each team. The winning person wins gets to choose which teams they train with – back to Black vs. Blue! Then the biggest surprise – who has the strength and mental toughness? Bob and Jillian, of course! They didn’t see it coming either, and are just shaking their head – Jillian even throws in a “crap!” Neither of them look happy about it, and a little timid – it’s cute! The contestants are happy though, and can’t wait to see it.
They’re tied for the first lap, then bob pulls ahead, but Jillian catches up on the way back down. Bob is pulling ahead, and Jillian is fighting to get up again, and complaining – and it’s funny! Then Bob slows down, Jillian has to go to one step at a time, Bob is still going up two at a time, and laps Jillian, pulling ahead! Gotta admit it was kinda funny to see Jillian complaining a bit though she never gives up and keeps pushing. In the end, however, Bob wins! 10-7!
Jillian isn’t happy about it, because now bob gets to choose his team. He says he’s in a precarious situation, because the contestants choose them at the beginning, and Roger says it goes back to high school. Bob picks the Orange team first. Dan’s honored of course. He picks the black team next, because it was a kick ass workout every time he worked with them. Jillian breaks down in tears, and Mark and Jay give her a big hug. She says it was heartbreaking. They all feel badly about it, and Bob picks the third powerhouse team, and picks the gray team as Jillian shakes her head.
Bob says it was hard to not pick the blue team – it broke his head, but he knew that Brittany had a bond with Jillian. Brittany was a little peeved about it – Jen says she wasn’t surprised because he wants the big boys that drops the big numbers. Kelly says the odds don’t look good and Jillian tells us Bob clearly has blood in his mouth since the last four seasons. But she likes being the underdog. That’s what works for him. She says she has no choice but to dust off her avenger hat and go to work.
Now that they have the new teams – it’s time to put them to the test with another challenge. NOW it’s time for the Esculator challenge like we’ve seen it before. Start walking up the down esculator until you just can’t walk anymore. last man standing, wins the challenge for his team. Paul and Trent are immediately off the treadmill, because they are injured. Everyone else starts walking. Kelli is the next out, and then Jen. 3 members of the black team now vs. 5 blue. Jackie gives up (bob says she’s just had enough) Roger is out for Blue and its 3 on 3. Maggie is out for the black team, and Jillian tells her it was awesome – better then her! Bernie is falling down, but Brittney is still at the top of the esculator fighting it out. Blue is still 3 strong at the top – Bernie is out, and it’s all up to Brittney. One girl against three strong guys – Jay, mark and Dan.
Black team chants and encourages Brittany, takes a rest, and falls back, but she isn’t out, she keeps going. Jay is falling back. Brittney runs up a few steps, she pushes it again and again, but then just can’t do it anymore after 24 minutes. She’s in tears and her team congratulates her for being awesome, and even Bob does too. Jackie is pleased as punch for the way Dan performed too. Jillian says Brittney didn’t win the challenge, but won her heart, and Bob and Jillian share a hug.
The blue team realizes that everyone there has never been below the yellow line, and they just want to concentrate on themselves. All they can do is work hard. Jillian talks to her team about feeling rejected by Bob. She tells them everything happens for a reason. The black team hits the gym, while Bob pulls out the Yoga Mats. Jillian demonstrates a punch for Maggie and causes Jen to start laughing “Mother of God Jillian, WARN me!” They’re bonding well. Bob discovers that Trent is a ‘Yogie’ which shocks him because big boys usually don’t do that. He loves him – and then steps on his back to force the stretch deeper. Nice.
Bernie says he isn’t out to get Bob, but he wants him to be forced to take a hard look at what he gave up. He’s not ready to leave, they’ll have to drag him off kicking and screaming.
Temptation time! They walk in to see a table filled sodas. Soda is the #1 source of sugar intake in America. Average person drinks over 500 cans of soda a year, which is over 50 lbs. Allison dumps a barrel of sugar to show them exactly how much sugar they used to drink a year. They’re all a little shocked at how much is actually in there. On to the temptation. There are 240 cups of soda, only one has a yellow star on the bottom. Whoever finds the star can pick a team member on the other team, and make their weight loss not count at the weigh in. At the bottom of each cup that isn’t a star, there’s a number – how many calories they just drank. They’re given a few minutes to discuss what they should do.
Allison says go… and everyone stands still and Dan says it’s like an old western standoff. Allison says that the star is not in the orange sodas, which narrows the field by 50. Allison makes one final offer – it’s not in the grape soda either, and Jackie is all ready to go for it, wanting to bulldoze the table and drink everything. Dan admits he WANTS too, but he’s not sure what he’s gonna do. Everyone is tempted, and thinking hard about whether or not they shold do it. In the end… just as the countdown gets to 1, Brittney steps forward – then right back again with a laugh, psych!
No one drinks, and they all head back to campus to tell everyone what happened. Jillian says “Who cares about soda!” and they start talking about their weaknesses, and it’s time to plug the gum of course. Time to hit the gym for a brutal last chance workout and Jillian is in full Military Mode. They’re pretty sure she lays in bed at night to figure out no ways of torture. Bob has his team doing circuit training. Trent says “you think it can’t get any worse, then BAM.”
Weighin time!
For the first time, one of them will have to say goodbye to their partner after facing the single scale. They’re all looking nervous, and Maggie and Jen say that it would break their heart to lose someone. Brittney tells Bob how she feels about not being picked by Bob after she and Bernie had chosen him, and it clearly gets to him.
The winning team’s highest weight loser will win a prize. The highest weigh loser on the losing team wins immunity.
Blue team is up first:
Jay: -5
Mark: -5
Trent: -9
Roger: -10
Jackie: -8
Dan: -13
For a total of 50 pounds and 3%. Black team will have to lose more then 41 pounds to win, or about 6 pounds each.
Black team:
Jen: -6
Maggie: -7
Bernie: -5
Brittney: -2
Kelly: -0 ack!
Paul: +3! O. M. G!!!
Black team loses the weigh-in, 17 pounds and 1.22%
Jillian says everyone has worked extremely hard, and this weeks issues with food will be their focus because it’s clearly an issue. Paul admits that he’d been cutting calories to try to catch the big guys on the Blue team. Dan is the biggest loser player of the week on the Blue team, and Maggie is safe from elimination, though someone will be going home.
The Black team is quiet as they try to decide who they’re going to send home. Kelly talks to Bernie and Brittney, and tells them she knows they can put up big numbers, but if it’s going to be them, to keep Paul, he needs it more. Jen is freaking out a bit about packing, and feeling paranoid, as she put up two good weeks, but doesn’t know what will happen next week. Maggie tries to talk her down. Maggie tells us she’ll be lost if Jen goes. (Foreshadow much, NBC? sheesh.)
Kelly is first – she says it was difficult, but she votes for Jen. Paul says he hates to do it, but votes for Jen as well. Maggie says she’s obviously not voting for Jen, so votes for Kelly. Jen says it sucks because no one should be going home, but votes for Kelly. That’s 2 and 2 for Jenn and Kelly. Brittney says that she has made stronger relationships then with others, but in the end, they’re now doing it for the black team, and she hopes she’s forgiven for making the decision, and she votes for Jen. Bernie is last up, and says he hates being placed in this situation and its the last time he wants to take this walk, and he votes with Brittney, and votes for Jen, who breaks down in tears as she holds Maggie’s hand. Maggie tells her she’s never seen her work so hard and is amazed and so proud of her, and loves her. Paul adds that all of them love her, and they’ll give them hell next week for her.
She says she’s proud of her loss, and that Jillian showed her she’s so strong, and she just needs to do it, she knows she can and she’s gonna. At home, Jen now weighs 201, and has lost 53 pounds! She says she feels like herself again, and feels awesome. Her life revolves around food (veges and fruit and turkey), exercise and sleep. She’s working out like it’s her full time job, she’s kicking butt on her way to the finale.
